Brake beam strut



May 23, 1939. D. PATERSON 2,159,100

BRAKE BEAM STRUT Filed July 12, 1957 I I Z 5 I 5 I I 5 I 4 'I I Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2359,10. mums m s'rau'r David Paterson, Iindsay, Ontario, Canada Application July 12, 1937, Serial No. 153,096 '1 Claims. (Cl. 188-232) The principal objects of this invention are to provide a brake beam strut oi the rotatably adjustable type which will have the minimum number of parts and which will be firmly and positive- 5 1y locked in either a left or right hand position according to requirements.

The principal features of the invention reside in the novel construction of the strut member having aportion formed to embrace the brake l beamand to be adjustably interlocked therewith and in the provision of a relatively adjustable portion for engaging the brace rod and adapted in certain cases to co-operate with the brace rod and with the strut to positively lock the strut in I adjusted positions.

' In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of a brake beam assembly showing one form or my invention applied thereto.

' Figures 2 and 3 are side elevational and ion- 20 gitudinal sectional views respectively of the strut shown inFigure 1.

Figures 4 and 5 are plan and longitudinal sectional views taken at right angles to Figures 2 and 3 respectively.

Figures 6 to 9 are vertical part sectional elevational views illustrating the manner in which the strut may be swung to either a "left" or right hand position in relation to the beam.

Figure 10 is a. perspective detail illustrating a 30 special interlocking rod-engaging member and a specially notched bore inthe end of the strut for co-operationtherewith.

Figure 11 illustrates a further modified form of adjustable connection between the rod-engaging Figure 13 is an enlarged perspective view illus-' trating a preferred form of key for locking the strut to the beam.

It has been heretofore proposed to provide rotatable brake beam struts which could be swung to either a left or right hand position in accord- .ance with the location required of same in service,

' but such structures have either been of such a so complicated and expensive nature as to discourage their use, or a complicated type of locking means was required in order to retain the strut in the angular position to which it had been adjusted.

55 The present invention proposes a very "desirable form of strut which is of simple but effective construction, permitting the desired adjustment with the minimum number of parts.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 9 the strut I which preferably comf the brake beam I as best illustrated'in Figures 6 and '7.

The centre bolt 6 passing through the web of the beam [and centrally through the head flange 3, serves not only to prevent shifting of the strut longitudinally of the beam, but also to permit the aforesaid ,rotative adjustment.

A notch 9 cut in the face of the head flange 2 is shown extending across the head and the opposite ends thereof are adapted to register respectively with notches III or I I cut angularly in the edge portion of one of the beam flanges 1 when the strut is swung to a .left or right hand position and a key member I! is adapted to be inserted in the aligned notches 9 and I0 or 9 and II to positively lock the struts in either position. q

The key member 12 may advantageously be split longitudinally so that one portion will be accommodated in the head slot 8 while the other portion due to the angular disposition of the slots II and II, will, on striking the lower flange l of the beam, be deflected angularly to effectively retain the key against accidental displacement.

The strut member is slotted transversely at l3 to receivethe brake lever l4 pivotally mounted on the transverse bolt II. The end of the strut opposite the head is here shown provided with a key hole slot I! anda saddle portion I! 'is' transversely grooved to embrace the brake rod II and is provided with a stem portion is having a locking lug 2. adapted to be inserted through the key hole slot and to be locked to the head onrotation of the saddle member H, as best illustrated in Figure 3, so that the strut member and saddle are relatively rotatably adjustable,

while retaining their interlocked relation.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 10, the rod-engaging saddle member l1 car- In the form shown in Figure ii the interengaging portions of the brake rod saddle iii and strut i are shown as radially serrated in a peripheral path, as indicated at 22 and since the serrations or teeth may be made comparativeiy fine, this form of ioclzing connection wiil permit oi a wider range of adjustment and it will be further observed that it will" permit the brake strut to be rotatably adjusted or even swung from a left to a right position should such be required by simply slackening off the brake rod nuts it, after which they may be tightened to rigidly retain the serrated members in their adjusted relation.

In the alternative modification illustrated in Figure 12 the head flange 2 of the brake strut is shown having molded therein diagonal or transversely intersecting grooves 23 which are spaced parallelly apart to correspond with the spacing of the flanges l of the brake beam 8 and are adapted to receive the edge portions of the flanges to positively interlock therewith in either a let or right position and where this form of interlock is employed the flange 3 may be spaced at slightly greater distance from the flange .2 in order to permit the edges of the brake beam flanges 7 to be disengaged therefrom, permitting the strut to 'be swung to the desired position should it be necessary after assembly to alter the position of the strut and after positioning, the

tightening of the brake rod nuts l8 will draw the. flange edges into firm seating and interlocking contact with the grooves 23 or 26.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a brake assembly having a beam and truss rod, a strut member interposedbetween said beam and truss rod having a head portion flanged to embrace the beam in selecting left or right hand positions, said head and beam having notches adapted to register when the strut ispositioned in either a left or right hand position for the reception of a lockingmember.

2. In a brake assembly having a brake beam reams a left or right" hand position, and means 1 1 removable insertion into said aligned notches to Each. the strut to the brake beam 3. A brake beam strut having in combination a head for rotatable mounting on the brake beam and having a keyhole slot in the other end, and a saddle member transversely grooved to embrace a truss rod and having a stem portion formed to enter said key hole slot and to interioci; with said strut.

i. A brake beam strut for insertion between a brake beam and truss rod and having a head rctatably embracing the brake beam, the other end of said strut having an axial bore fromed with peripherally spaced locking notches, and a ro engaging member formed with a stem to snugly enter said bore and having a locking key adapted to selectively engage said locking notches to loci-r the strut in rotatably adjusted positions.

5. A brake beam strut for insertion between a brake beam and truss rod, said strut having a head rotatable on the brake beam to left or right hand position selectively, and means for locking said strut in either of its rotatably a6.- justed positions including a rod-engaging member adjustable relative to said strut and having selective locking engagementtherewith.

6. Means as claimed in claim 5- in which said rod-engaging member is transversely grooved to interlock with said rod and has a serrated seating portion for interlocked engagement with a serrated seating portion of said strut.

' 7. In a brake assembly having a flanged beam and a truss rod, a reversible strut for interposing therebetween, and means co-operative with said strut having positive non-rotative locking cooperation simultaneously with the beam and strut at one end and with the rod and strut at the other end in both left and right positions, said means being free of bolt connections and including an integral head portion having a rotat'able mounting directly on the flanges of the beam from onelocking position to another and selectively engageable toothed and notched locking means interposed between the said other end and the rod. .4

DAVID PATERSON. 

